There is a continuing trend to develop new and superior cosmetic compositions especially for the reduction and/or elimination of wetness and/or odor under the arms. Particular efforts include developing lower residue products especially with improved efficacy and aesthetics. Various product forms have included sticks (especially gel/sticks), gels, soft solids, roll-ons, aerosols and creams. Of these various forms the sticks, gels, soft solids creams and roll-ons are made with a liquid base material incorporating a solidifying agent and/or gelling agent and/or thickening agent. Generally, these forms include a solution of the cosmetically active ingredient in a suitable vehicle, a suspension of the active ingredient in a carrier vehicle, or a multiphasic dispersion or emulsion in which a solution of the active ingredient is dispersed or suspended in some continuous phase or in which the solubilized active ingredient constitutes the continuous phase.
One of the most frequently used gelling agents for stick products is stearyl alcohol. While it gives a solid product, it can reduce efficacy of the antiperspirant salt included in the formulation. This invention is a stick made without stearyl alcohol and which has an efficacy that is at least 10% better in sweat reduction than a stick that is gelled with stearyl alcohol.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide improved cosmetic compositions with the improvements as previously described and which are useful as antiperspirants and/or deodorants. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
It has been found that a high efficacy antiperspirant/deodorant stick product may be made by combining the following ingredients where all amounts are in weight percent based on the total weight of the composition:
(a) 30-70% volatile cyclomethicone (particularly 40-50%) (for example, D4, D5, D6 and mixtures of two or more of the foregoing);
(b) 10-25% of an antiperspirant active;
(c) 1-15% of an emollient (which may also be a mixture of two or more emollients) and which may include a non-volatile silicone (especially wherein the emollient is selected from the group consisting of C12-15 alkyl benzoate; and medium volatility dimethicone (especially 10-350 centistoke material and more especially 10-50 centistoke material);
(d) 1-14% of polyethylene (particularly 3-10%) comprising one or more members selected from the group consisting of homopolymers and copolymers of polyethylene wherein the polyethylene (i) is at least 90% linear; (ii) has a molecular weight in the range of 300-3000 (especially 300-1000 and more especially 300-500); (iii) has a melting point in the range of 50-129 degrees C. (for example, 50-70 degrees C., 60-70 degrees C., and 70-129 degrees C.); and (iv) has a polymer backbone of CH3CH2xe2x80x94(CH2xe2x80x94CH2)nxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH3 (which can also be represented as CH3CH2xe2x80x94(CH2xe2x80x94CH2)nxe2x80x94H), where n is an average number and is selected to be in the range of 10-106 (for example, polyethylenes sold under the PERFORMALENE name from New Phase Technology, Piscataway, N.J.);
(e) 0.3-7% of a wax (including a single wax or a combination of waxes) as a co-gellant with the polyethylene wherein the wax has a melting point in the range of 40-97 degrees C. (for example, 40-80 degrees C.), and particularly wherein the wax is a member selected from the group consisting of Japan wax substitute 525 (from Ross Wax, Jersey City, N.J.), Beeswax 136 (for example, from Ross Wax); and microcrystalline wax having a melting point in the range of 60-97 degrees C.; and
(f) 1-40% (particularly 5-20%) of an elastomer in cyclomethicone composition comprising a dimethicone/vinyldimethicone crosspolymer composition made by reacting (in the presence of a platinum catalyst) a polymethylhydrogensiloxane with an alpha, omega-divinylpolydimethyl siloxane for which the dimethicone/vinyldimethicone crosspolymer composition (1) is used at a concentration of 4-10% in cyclomethicone (particularly 4-7%, and, more particularly, 4-6.5%) (for example, where the cyclomethicone is a D4 or D5 cyclomethicone), (2) has a refractive index in the range of 1.392-1.402 at 25 degrees C., and (3) has a viscosity in the range of 0.013-1xc3x97104 Pascal seconds;
provided that the ratio of wax:polyethylene is in the range of 1:1-1:10, particularly 1:2-1:10, and more particularly in a ratio of 3:8.
Other optional ingredients include 0.1-5% fragrance and an effective amount of an antimicrobial (for example, an antibacterial) agent.